Jesus and Nicodemus

3 There was a man from the Pharisees^(A) named Nicodemus,^(B) a ruler^(C) of the Jews. ² This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi,^(D) we know that you are a teacher^(E) who has come from God,^(F) for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”^(G)

³ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,^[a](H) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”^(I)

⁴ “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born^(J) of water and the Spirit,^(K) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ Whatever is born of the flesh^(L) is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit^(M) is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born^(N) again. ⁸ The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.^(O) So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^(P)

⁹ “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.

¹⁰ “Are you a teacher^[b] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. ¹¹ “Truly I tell you,^(Q) we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. ¹² If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended^(R) into heaven^(S) except the one who descended from heaven^(T) —the Son of Man.^[c](U)

¹⁴ “Just as Moses^(V) lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(W) so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in him may^[d] have eternal life.^{(X) 16} For God loved^(Y) the world in this way:^[e] He gave^[f] his one and only^(Z) Son,^(AA) so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.^{(AB) 17} For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn^(AC) the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,^(AD) because he has not believed in the name^(AE) of the one and only Son^(AF) of God. ¹⁹ This is the judgment: The light^(AG) has come into the world,^(AH) and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does evil hates^(AI) the light and avoids it,^[g] so that his deeds^(AJ) may not be exposed. ²¹ But anyone who lives by^[h] the truth comes to the light, so that his works^(AK) may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

Jesus and John the Baptist

²² After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the Judean countryside, where he spent time with them and baptized.

²³ John^(AL) also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, ²⁴ since John had not yet been thrown into prison.^(AM)

²⁵ Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples^(AN) and a Jew^[i] about purification.^{(AO) 26} So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi,^(AP) the one you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan,^(AQ) is baptizing—and everyone is going to him.”^(AR)

²⁷ John responded, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,^(AS) but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’^{(AT) 29} He who has the bride^(AU) is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly^[j] at the groom’s voice. So this joy^(AV) of mine is complete. ³⁰ He must increase, but I must decrease.”

The One from Heaven

³¹ The one who comes from above^(AW) is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms.^[k] The one who comes from heaven is above all.^{(AX) 32} He testifies^(AY) to what he has seen and heard, and yet no one accepts his testimony. ³³ The one who has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is true.^{(AZ) 34} For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, since he^[l] gives the Spirit^(BA) without measure. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son^(BB) and has given all things into his hands.^{(BC) 36} The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son^[m] will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.^(BD)